This and That and The Kitchen Sink

Rick left this morning for Springfield, IL. He'll Come home Friday and then fly out again to Springfield on Sunday. The hard part is that the second week he gets home on Thursday and we fly out Friday to Orlando and Disney World.

Speaking of Disney, I am immersed in my Unofficial Guide to Disney. Despite graduating from Mickey's College of Knowledge (seriously, that is the name of it.), so much has changed that I feel as if I have no prior knowledge. However, one thing I do remember is to not go to Disney without a plan. You can be anal and plan down to the minute or do a more flexible plan. Regardless, without a plan you will be overwhelmed and miss so much of Disney. A couple months back Rick had called WDW-Dine and made "reservations" for various popular sit-down restaurants, so I needed to make an Excel spreadsheet calendar to keep everything straight. This will be our first family vacation. We have traveled a lot as a family, but it has been typically to visit family or tag along on Rick's business trips. Rick seriously needs a true vacation. A vacation where he is removed from work and the missile base. Unfortunately, it will not be a relax and kick back vacation, but it will be good to leave the "To Do' lists at home.

UPDATE***************************************

I totally misunderstood Rick the other night when he came upon a rattlesnake. I thought he didn't kill it, but he had and not with the usual one shot. He had to shoot it a few times, which is so not like Eagle Eye Rick. When Rick encountered the snake he was on our ag. land. He was over there because he saw two loose calves. He thought they were owned by the people that rent acres from us to use as pasture land. Rick couldn't get the calves in the fence, so I had to call our tenants and they rushed over. They had a shovel in the truck, so Rick further killed the snake with the shovel. After the poor shots, he wanted to make sure it was dead, dead, dead. So our rattlesnake count for 2011 is 1 and it technically wasn't on the land we consider our yard. (Only in Texas is 14 acres a yard!)

*********************************************

Today I talked on the phone with my sister Linda. Nick and she are at my mom and dad's. They leave for home (Florida) tomorrow. She said that they have had a good time. My mom is doing the same, which is a positive. At least the medication has slowed the progression of her Alzheimer's. Here's a shocker. My dad is driving again. After he had his stroke, he did not drive. Now my mom does not drive because of the injury to her shoulder that she suffered back in November. With Dad being a typical Finlander (they all have sisu) he started driving again. He just didn't like depending on anyone for transportation to the doctor or to the store. They don't go very far and dad only drives 30 mph, which is the speed limit in town, but I imagine it must feel good to be driving again. He has made amazing progress these last five years and it's sisu that has made that happen. For the non-Finlanders, sisu is a Finnish world that has no English equivalent. It is a combination of determination, stubbornness, strength of will, perseverance, the ability to keep going despite the odds, getting the job done without complaints even when it is hard work or near impossible.

So I am tired, tired, tired. Katie was up last night chasing the cat. Of course Cody started his polite whining when he saw Katie moving around. By 3:30 pm, she finally remained in her bed but Cody didn't settle down until 4 am. I would just fall asleep when I would hear Katie running around, so I would get out of bed, put her back in her bed, tell Cody to be quiet then sleep for another 20 minutes before it started all over.

I described Cody's whining as polite. When it is morning and he needs to go out, he whines these short little whines and barks suppressed barks. He knows he is not supposed to be barking or whining, so he tones it down a bit. He also talks to me out of frustration. He wants to bark but knows not to so he starts making this real guttural sound. It almost sounds like the noise that escapes when one yawns. He will also bite his front paw when he is fighting the urge to bite me. Other than those few things, he is still not the brightest bulb in the box. We have a trellis at the end of our sidewalk. There is a gate in the archway of the trellis and when Katie closes it behind her, Cody can't figure out how to get to Katie. All he would have to do is walk 3' around the trellis and he would be on the same side as Katie. Instead he sits there and barks and barks. Last week Cody fell into the pool and it was confirmed that he is the only Lab that does not like water. The muzzle that I ordered was too small for him but because of the return shipping costs, I would only get a few dollars back so I kept it. I did order a new one for him from Dean & Tyler. It is leather and has an additional strap that goes down the forehead. The first muzzle did not have it and he could slip the muzzle off of his nose. I don't necessarily like muzzling him, but we have at least six more months of his chewing. When I let him roam around the house I have to follow him because he pointedly looks for something to chew. Yesterday, Katie and Rick were in the pool and I was hemming Rick's pants, so I let Cody out of the kitchen. Bing, bam, boom he ate one of Katie's hard plastic head bands. I didn't even see him take it. I am undecided about what to do with Cody while we are at Disney. We can leave him home and our neighbors will come over twice a day to take care of him; he could stay at the neighbor's house or we can kennel him. If he stays here, he will be alone a good part of the day and he would go batty. I can see him eating a cabinet or knocking the gate down and chewing most of the contents in our house. The neighbors have three, large dogs so if he goes there, we would have to arrange a recon play date to see if the dogs get along. I am also concerned about what he will chew if he stays at the neighbors. So right now, the kennel is looking as the best option.

Katie has been acting up this past week. She has the eye roll and the snottiness of a teenager. I hope she likes the taste of Irish Spring because there will be a bar in her mouth if she keeps it up. Katie is looking forward to school and I am anxious to witness the much talked about change that we will see in her. I am pretty sure that Katie will like school. She likes going out into the world and being around people. She also likes to learn and is a bit of a teacher pleaser. Of course she doesn't strive as hard to please us. If she doesn't like school we, Rick and I, will be in for thirteen years of power struggles with Katie. Please pray for us. Katie is also becoming a little, high-maintenance fashionista. It drives me up the wall. Before we go to the store she has to pretty herself up i.e. comb her hair, put lip gloss on. Often I end up waiting for her to finish primping and preening. For Pete's sake we are going to Wal-Mart not a swanky boutique on Rodeo Drive. She also likes eye make-up and I have put it on her when I knew we were staying home. Unfortunately I have created a monster. She thinks she should wear it all of the time. I have stressed, stressed and stressed to her that she is actually prettier without the eye make-up. It is disturbing to me to witness her mature interest in clothing and make up. Perhaps it is just a phase. She is still at that age where she wants to be just like me.(I should enjoy it because once she hits her teens she will do a 180 and despise me.) She even wants wrinkles, eyeglasses and to be lactose-intolerant just like her mama. It's rather comical when she scourers her body to find a wrinkle.

Ever since moving to Texas, my feet are no longer soft. I am getting those cracked heels. I figure it is because up North I wore shoes and socks that kept my feet moisturized as opposed to down here where I run around in flip flops in this arid climate. I discovered the other day that my feet are also starting to crack around my toes. For years my dad has had the same problem with his hands. He would develop deep cracks on his palms. He always had white medical tape on his hands keeping the cracks closed. When I was a child I developed those deep cracks on the bottom of my feet and here it is 40 years later and they have reappeared. The freaky thing is the cracks develop not on dry areas, but on the balls of my feet and in the creases around my toes, places that are well moisturized and not dry. I need to Google this phenomenon and hopefully find a remedy.  Other health news, my lactose intolerance is gotten really bad. I used to be able to sneak a spoon full of ice cream when I was fixing a bowl for Katie or Rick. However, lately I cannot do that without a severe reaction. It could be all part of getting old. I am sure doing that.

Well, it's time to retire to the master suite. (Aren't I fancy?!) Perhaps pictures tomorrow. Ciao!

Family Weekend

Rick's brother Keith and his family made a pit stop at Corinth West this past weekend. They had been touring around the U.S. in their motorhome. Katie was pretty hyped up about her cousins, Courtney, Lindsay and Allison coming to visit. While they were here, Katie was so busy with her cousins that we, meaning Rick and I, barely saw her. It is true siblings entertain each other so you don't have to play Barbie's or color with them; however, with more than one child you will have fights. I barely can handle it when Katie whines and protests. Couldn't imagine throwing another one in the mix. But I digress. When the weekend was done and over it must be said that we had a good time. I took a few pictures to capture the moments.

The cousins had not shot a gun before so that was one of their "things to do" on their U.S. tour.

 Courtney looking like a pro.

 Training from Daddy, a former gun safety and self-defense instructor.

 Walking back from her shoot. Mean looking little girl, hey?

 The Hatfields and McCoys have nothing on Diane.

 Here is Diane as one of Charlie's Angels.

 Keith, Diane and the girls made themselves at home in the front parking area. We have never had neighbors so close.

 Let's see how many Kirschners we can fit into a golf cart and yes, Katie does drive the golf cart.

(Lindsay, Courtney, Diane, Allison and Katie)

Let's tour the missile base.

(Rick--the leg and flashlight-- Allison, Lindsay, Courtney and Katie)

 Lower floor of the Launch Control Center.

(Ally, Courtney, Lindsay, Katie and Rick)

 Let's see who is strong enough to open the escape hatch.

(Ally, Rick and Courtney)

 Of course Katie had to try because her cousins did. Each girl pulled and tugged with all of their body weight. No one was successful but Rick did fess up that it is welded shut.

(Ally, Lindsay, Rick and Katie)

 Chatting on the upper level of the LCC. Those boxes and papers scattered around the place are the blueprints for the missile base. Rick pours over them as we slowly, slowly restore Corinth West.

(Keith, Diane, Courtney, Lindsay, Ally and Rick)

 Rick and Keith told the girls that they were going to swing over the silo. Rick handed out neoprin gloves and masks. Keith and Rick then got them into the safety harness and proceeded to hook them to a  imbedded loop in the stairwell's wall. All of the girls loved it except for Katie. She tolerated it. There are so many fun things you can do in a missile base . . . if you are easily entertained.
(Courtney)

 Courtney was the first to go.

Then Lindsay. She is so thin that she almost slipped through the harness.

Ally takes her turn.

Katie talking with her eyes. "Momma please rescue me."

The Doodles. Her little red cheeks and nose are a result of being in the swimming pool with her cousins for a good part of Sunday.

In other news, Rick was over at our pasture land and ran into a rattlesnake, the first one either of us have seen in months and the first for the summer. Unfortunately Rick didn't get him and the relatives left earlier that day so they didn't get to see one in the wild.

Cody made a friend. Keith and Diane brought their Corgi named Dyson. (Yes, after the vacuum cleaner. The dog cleans everything--I mean everything--off of the floor. They don't have to sweep or vacuum anymore.) Anyway, at first Dyson was Mr. Tough Guy and was barking and growling at Cody who was wagging his tail as fast as it would go. We kept the dogs apart until Monday when they both were taking a potty break at the same time. No growling or barking, just one wagging tail. They were fine together and I have never seen Cody so happy. He had a friend! He had a friend! But like all good things, it had to end. Our guests left mid-morning on Monday. I tried to hide Cody and/or Katie in the back of the motorhome but Keith and Diane were policing the door. I guess they have heard the story about how we put Katie's in Ga Ga and Pop Pop's van. They started going down the driveway when Katie made her presence known. Man, if only she had waited until they were out of the gate.

Well, it's late and I gotta sleep. Taekwondo at 10 am tomorrow which means getting up at 7:30 am. Nighty night.

Weird

Okay, I did something weird today. I was coming out of the master bedroom and I felt my bobby pin falling out of my hair. I went into the dining room to check my hair in the mirror. The odd part is that we do not have a mirror in our dining room nor have we ever had a mirror in our dining room. We have a large clock. I stood there for a moment mentally saying, "What the heck?" It then dawned on me. Eight years ago in my single years I lived in an apartment home--their fancy way of saying a large apartment-- and had a mirror in the dining room that I often used for last minute checks before heading out of the door. That building burnt to the ground and I lost everything but my cat and car. (Apparently you had to be something starting with a "c" and only three letters long to have made it out with me.) What cubby hole had my mind wandered into that took me back eight years? Weird, weird, weird.

She's got rings on her fingers and necklaces in her hair . . .

Yesterday Katie and I found Barbie in the Nutcracker in the bargain bin at Sam's. Katie loves, loves ballet. In the past I had checked out ballet performance DVDs from the library. What most people would find boring, her eyes were glued to the screen. Also, one of her favorite things to do is dance around the living room to the music from her Nutcracker CD or other classical music. When Barbie is coupled with ballet, Katie is in hog-heaven so I knew the DVD was going to be a hit.

Katie likes to get dressed up when she watches her Barbie DVDs or her Disney Princess DVDs. Last night was no different for the premier of Barbie in the Nutcracker. I fixed her hair, applied eye make-up and put glitter on her face. Of course she needed pictures of her radiant beauty, so here they go.

 Katie and her fake cat. This cat is purrs, licks it paw, meows and does other cat things that kind of freak me out.

What's a princess to do? So little time and so many people to kiss her shoes. (I like this picture but I wasn't paying attention when I was shooting it. The camera auto-focused on the cat's head so Katie is blurry. Duh! to me.)

New Wildlife

Last night Katie came out of her bedroom and was so excited. "Mama there's a stinky squirrel in the front yard!" Of course my response was "Huh?" After I took a gander out of her window, I spied a skunk. So from this point forward skunks will be known as stinky squirrels here on Corinth West.

To Catch Up

Cody ate my second pair of glasses. Like an idiot I put them on the breakfast bar then walked into the bathroom. Zip, they were destroyed. I don't know if I was more upset at myself or the dog. Thank goodness I had purchased dog-ate-my-glasses insurance for them and thank goodness Rick wasn't home. Rick was so mad when I told him about the eaten glasses that had Rick been home Cody would have been packed and out of here to a new home that day. They make humane muzzles and I quickly ordered one. It should be here Friday. Until then, I guard my glasses and sunglasses with my life. I don't like to think about how much monetarily Cody has cost us. Just with the two pair of glasses, one pair of sunglasses and kitchen floor the total is running in the thousands. Do I regret getting Cody? Yes, yes I do. I should have stuck to my guns and gotten a White German Shepherd.

 Cody 2, glasses 0.

Yesterday Katie was trying on one of the new swimsuits that I bought her. (Target has their swimsuits on clearance and I only paid a little over $6 per swimsuit.) She was modeling a swimsuit when she told me that she needed to get her tummy "like this" and she sucked in her stomach. She informed me that according to TV she has to have a flat tummy before summer. I was heart broken. I told her TV lies, lies, lies and had a long conversation about how great she looked now. No matter how careful you are with what your child watches, some evil commercial will stick in her head.

When Rick was away last week in Valley Forge, PA he picked up a surprise for Katie. It was Bug Hunter gear. Here she is out on her quest. The gun acts like a vacuum and sucks up a bug that you then put into a container. The look on her face reminds me of a great explorer looking to the horizon.

 In the above picture you can also see our grass or where our grass should be. We are in a severe drought and in the Abilene Reporter they published an article about our conditions and a quote from a local man
". . .  longtime Abilene resident Bill Wright said a friend recently was talking about having experienced three great droughts — the Dust Bowl, the one in the 1950s, and today's.'And they weren't sure that today's wasn't worse than the '50s,' he said." We have had 100+ degree temperatures since mid-May. According to the newspaper we are in the 40th consecutive day of 100+. You will also notice in the above picture how green the mesquite are which means their roots are pretty deep. It is not uncommon for the tap root to go down 90'. Though I hate mesquite I am thankful for the shade and the bit of green they add to the scene. Without that green it would look like John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. Also, needless to say, it is like a tinder box out there. One spark from a fence welder and acres can burn in minutes. One careless smoker can take out a whole ranch just like that. According to Texas Fires 2011  "Since fire season began on Nov. 15, 2010, Texas Forest Service and local firefighters have responded to 15,188 fires that have burned a record-setting 3,327,484 acres." Even for a state the size of Texas, that is a lot of land." As for the cotton crop, I have yet to see any field with cotton plants. It looks like cotton will be a total failure here in West Texas. The people that plant the cotton on our land were pretty sure that this year was going to be a very dry year and we insured our crop in accordance to their prediction. I am amazed at the old farmers around here knowing if it will be a good crop year or not. They can read weather maps and trends better than any meteorologist I have ever seen.

As stated, Rick is out of town again this week. He is in Springfield, IL, land of Lincoln. He will be home next week, but then goes back to Springfield for the following two weeks. His brother's family is motorhoming across country this summer and will be stopping here sometime next week. Boy have they picked a time to visit West Texas.

Rick got a new toy, a Schonstedt MAC-51BX. Basically it is used to find electrical lines, water pipes, survey markers, etc. It is essential for bringing permanent electric and water to the base. Look how happy he looks.

MOPS is starting to gear up for the new season. As you know this will be the last year and it will be sad to go to MOPS without the Doodlebug. It is hard to imagine Katie being gone all day. As I said before, I don't get teary-eyed about her being in school all day. I get teary-eyed when I think of her climbing on that big bus and riding to school.

Yesterday I delivered some MOPS brochures to Abilene Regional Medical Center/Hospital. I told Katie that she was born at ARMC so after dropping off the brochures we went into the hospital and toured around a bit. She got to walk out of the doors that she did almost 5 years ago. I told her that right at that very spot was the first time she was in the great outdoors. She loves hearing stories about herself so this blog will be valuable to her once she can read. My regret is that I did not start this before she was born.

Well, off to  "enjoy" the 100 degree heat. However, there is a rare cloud floating over the missile base maybe it will be a tad cooler. Katie wants to swim and I need to clean the pool. We are not doing taekwondo today--we did it twice yesterday--so this is one precious day where I am not driving to Abilene.

PS:  Here is Eye-Glass-Chewing Cody. If you think he is the cutest dog that you have ever seen, email me your address. He will be there tomorrow.

Bringing You Up To Date

The last time I posted the rodeo was still going on. We did attend the remaining nights of the rodeo and had a memorable time. Because we bought the box this year, we will have first dibs on the box next year, which means we will also be front row sitting next year.

About two weeks ago Cody ate my glasses. I had Lenscrafters order me a replacement pair. This time I bought insurance for the glasses. (Being eaten by a yellow dog named Cody is covered. Had we named him Brody it would not be covered. JK) I also ordered prescription sunglasses. A week later I stopped in Lenscrafters to see if the sunglasses had arrived and found out that the frame that I liked would not work with my prescription. The frame was curved and for my prescription the frame and therefore the lens needed to be more flat. I did find another frame that I liked and I will be picking up the sunglasses tomorrow. Speaking of Cody and glasses, he ate Rick's sunglasses this morning so Cody is a dead man walking. It has come down to two options. Either he is kenneled when he is in the house or muzzled when he is in the house. Both options are crappy, but I am leaning toward muzzling. Because of the heat he does not stay outside for an extended period of time which means he would be in a cage most of the day. Also with muzzling, he can have free roam of the house. The downside to muzzling is that I will have to remove the muzzle at set times so he can drink and eat. Eric and Max did not chew like Cody does. I guess that Labs are known as chewers. Had I known that before acquiring Cody I doubt I would have got him. Here's another Cody fact. He has never, ever barked meanly at an approaching stranger. Matter of fact he will run behind me. A job as a protection dog is not and will never be in his future.

This weekend I had my MOPS Steering Team Retreat. We met at a members house and planned for the upcoming MOPS year. This will be my last year at MOPS because you get kicked out once your child completes kindergarten. I can't be too angry about the booting since MOPS stands for Mother of Pre Schoolers. I knew it going into the group. Anyhoodles, I can't imagine what I will do without those group of ladies. It really is my only source of socialization. Back to the retreat. The retreat was an overnight meeting so I brought a book and my book light with me figuring if everyone was in bed early I could read until I feel asleep. I didn't need to pack them because except for one lady, everyone stayed up until 2:00 am in the hot tub. I didn't sleep well despite having my comfortable twin air mattress. A few years ago I started having problems when I sleep away from home. I never really fall into a deep sleep. Last year we just did an one day retreat and the year before that we did an overnighter. Rick was in Brazil at the time so I had to take Katie. Katie refused to stay in her borrowed bedroom so I ended up leaving  that evening. This time she stayed home with Rick and from the reports, she was a good girl and had a good time. For the days before I left, she kept on whining about my leaving for a night. At one point she was talking on my iPod and told the person on the other end that I wasn't coming to the retreat. Friday night Rick and Katie went to the Tye truck stop for dinner. (They often eat there together if I am gone.) The truck stop also has a store attached to it. Katie picked out a necklace and earrings for me so I had a wrapped surprise and card waiting for me Saturday afternoon. Katie really is a very giving and compassionate person.

Rick is in Valley Forge this week. (No, he is not doing a Revolutionary War reenactment.) Rick has been home for the last 4+ weeks, so it is sad and odd not to have him here. Actually the weirdest it has ever felt here alone.

Casey and Lance, our workers, have gotten a lot done around the Missile Base. They are not lightening fast, but with the heat it is somewhat understandable. They will be here only two days this week, so I don't have to be the slave driver for too long. I really struggle paying someone to do things that I can do. For example, there was a small, itty-bitty branch in the front yard's tree that blocked the view of the hanging flowers. Rick told me to have one of the guys to prune it. I felt so uncomfortable that Rick had to tell Lance what I needed done but I still had to show Lance which twiggy branch it was. I felt like a helpless, pampered female. I almost apologized to Lance for how small the branch was and how petty it seemed to have him cut it.

Our Disney vacation is fast approaching. I need to loosely plan out our days. Rick made a bunch of restaurant reservations, but I want to make sure Katie gets to experience her interests. Chances are we will spend at least two days in Magic Kingdom. We will be staying at the Comtemporary and have upgraded the room to one with a balcony that offers a view of Magic Kingdom and the nightly fireworks. The Comtemporary is one of their older hotels and too contemporary (imagine that) for Rick's taste but it is the best hotel for fireworks viewing. On Katie's birthday she has an appointment at the Bippity Bop Boutique for the deluxe make over which includes a princess gown. We will then lunch with the Disney Princesses in Cinderella's Castle. That evening we will have lunch with the Disney Princesses at Norway in Epcot. I am excited to be taking a "real" family vacation. Sad fact is that it will also be Rick and my first true vacation together. Rick and I have traveled a lot together but those trips have been to visit family or business trips. Rick seriously needs a vacation that removes him from work and all of the work that needs to be done at the Missile Base. Not that Disney will be a relaxing and stress free vacation, but leaving the cell phones and the laptops at home will be freeing for both Rick and I.

This is a long post but I know there is so much more that I wanted to record so Katie will have a diary of her pre-school years. Ah yes, school. There is something on which I want to expound. I really don't know how I will react to Katie's first day of school but I know that letting her take the bus to school will be hard. It will be her first adventure into the world without Rick and/or I at her side. She will have this whole new world of which I will not be a part. She was mine for five years and now the cutting of the apron strings will begin. I doubt she will, but I hope Katie doesn't cry. It would rip my heart out if I had to send her off with tears streaking down her face. I often think of the time before Katie could walk. I wish I could go back to that time and just hug her and hold her. I know that in a short time I will feel the same way about the years before she went to school. One of my favorite sayings is a favorite because it is true. "The days are long but the years are short." It eloquently describes what it is like to be a mother. So on that bittersweet and a tad bit melancholy note, I bid you adieu but not before I inundate you with pictures.

 These young ladies are from San Angelo and do synchronized riding, if that is the correct term.

 Katie with our neighbors' two daughters in the middle of the ring after the rodeo.

 National Anthem with Patriotic Horse.

(The horse bowed his head also.)

 Bucking bronc.

(Minutes later the cowboy was airborn.)

 Barrel racing fascinates me when I see pictures of how angled the horse is when he whips around a barrel.

 Ah, Katie. The rodeo is the other way.

 Pool and Water Gun.

(This picture is a little creepy because of her serene smile and the huge, plastic AK-47.)

 Chef Katie grilling along side her Daddy. Katie got her grill as a reward for advancing to a new belt in Tae Kwon Do.

 The Eyeglass Eater.

Breakfast Outside

(Don't judge me too harshly for what she is eating for breakfast. Also, don't be envious of our lush, green grass. At least with this drought Rick doesn't have to mow the yard.)

So there you go and here I go to bed.

Yee Haw! Nights Two and Three

Happy 4th of July, dear readers. In the north, and particularly in Michigan, summer is half over. However, here in West Texas we are not even close. We have a mountain of hot, hot, hot days yet to be lived.

Tonight is the last of the four nights of the Rodeo. We have enjoyed ourselves each night although Katie was wound up the second night. I discovered at a later point that Katie had been kidnapping Tootsie Rolls from the parade candy dish ALL DAY long. It explains her out-of-control demeanor. I tell you, some experts say sugar does not affect children. I say come on over and watch my daughter after she ingests sugar. She becomes defiant and basically ignores both Rick and I. Needless to say she is back on her sugar-free diet. Life is just easier that way.

Below are a few pictures from the previous two nights at the rodeo.

 Calf Scramble

The Kids' Calf Scramble was held on June 30 and July 1. In this picture I cannot pick out Katie. She had a pink shirt on, but Thursday was Tough Enough to Wear Pink night so a lot of scramblers had pink on. She didn't get a ribbon from one of the calves, but had fun racing up and down the rodeo ring. On the second night's Calf Scramble she didn't do any better and she was upset. Crying upset. However, she did have fun and I almost had a heart attack. After all of the ribbons were taken, the calves and kids continued running in the ring. Katie was a few steps outside of our box with Rick a few feet away when a herd of calves come running at her. You know, that child did not move. She just stood there and let the calves part around her and seemed to enjoy being in the middle of a running herd of calves. I think she didn't want to miss her chance to grab one of the ribbons. She is fearless. . . or not very smart. I had visions of seeing my daughter being bulled over by the calves and then getting stepped on.  

Katie and Rick after the rodeo. They are standing in the ring.

 Katie and I with all of our friends. It must have been something I said and not how I smelled because I had taken a shower before the rodeo! Actually this is after the rodeo ended and most of the people vacated the arena. Each night after the rodeo a few cowboys come into the ring and attempt to qualify. I don't know why they don't do it during the performance.

These ladies are from San Angelo. They do synchronized riding. It was pretty amazing and made me want to get on a horse. Being in a box seat and right up front, I am amazed at all of the riders and their skills.

Here's Katie with Noel. Last night we invited two friends and their oldest son (Noel) as well as one of our workers and his girlfriend. Katie kept on feeding Kasey cheddar fish crackers. Being the mannered and polite guy that he is, he ate everyone.

That's it for now. Gotta take that shower and make dinner before 7:30 pm. Hopefully I will get that "one" picture of the rodeo that has eluded me so far.